Water-wheel-penstock construction.



Patented lune 24,' |902. J. W. RICKEY & M. G. BARNES.

WATER WHEEL PENSTDCK CONSTRUCTION.

(Application filed Mar, 10, 1902.)

(No Model.)

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No. 703,2l6. Patented lune 24, |902.

J. W. RICKEY &. M. G. BARNES.

WATER WHEEL PENSTOCK CONSTRUGTIUN.

(Application filed Mar. l0, 1902.) (No Model.) v3 Sheets-Sheet 2larrow/vais,

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No. 703,2I6. Patented lune 24, |902.

J.'W. RICKEY & M. G. BARNES.

WATER WHEEL PENSTOCK CDNSTHUCTIUN.

` (Application filed Mar. 10, 1902.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES WV. RIOKEY, OE MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, AND MORTIMER G. BARNES, OFSTERLING, ILLINOIS; SAID BARNES ASSIGNOR TO SAID RIOKEY.

WATER-WHEEL-PENSTOCK CONSTRUCTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 703,216, dated June 24,1902.

Application led March 10,`1902. Serial No. 97,481. (No model.)

To LZZ whom. it may concern:

Beit known that we, JAMES W. RIOKEY, of

Minneapolis, Hennepin county, Minnesota,4

and MORTIMER G. BARNEs,of Sterling, Vhiteside county, Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in WaterlVheel-PenstockConstructions, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in the construction of water-wheelpenstocks arranged in series of two or more, and particularly to thatclass generally known as open penstocks or open wheel-chambers, eitherexpression signifying penstoclrs wherein the Water is not underpressure, the surface of the quiet water therein being on a level withthe surface of the. water in the millpond,head race, or forebay withwhich the penstocks are directly connected.

The invention also relates more particularly to penstocks of masonryconstruction, either stone or concrete, or both.

In constructing a series of open masonry penstocks it has been necessaryheretofore to build massive and expensive bulkheads at the closed endsof the penstocks to resist the pressure of water against them, andcorrespondingly heavy partition-walls between two or more adjoiningpenstocks to withstand the hydrostatic pressure of the water in a fullpenstock when an adjoining one was empty, said bulkheads and walls, whenmade suiiciently thick and heavy to provide properly for thesepressures, occupying a considerable portion of the total superficialarea covered by a hydraulic-power house. of such construction it hasbeen found impossible to compute with any degree of accuracy the way inwhich the stresses in the partitionwalls and bulkheads arising from thehydrostatic pressure of the water in the penstocksY will act, and henceit is customary in constructing such bulkheads and walls to provide foran excess of strength, though the cost of construction and the areaoccupied are thereby increased.

The object, therefore, of our invention is to economize in area coveredby reducing the thickness of the partition-Walls and bull:-

In peustocks heads to a minimum, to effect a large saving in cost ofconstruction, and provide a structure capable of resisting any stress towhich it may be subjected, and one in`which the stresses and the Way inwhich they will act can be readily computed, and consequently only theactual computed stressesvneed be provided for in the construction. Thesetwo features-namely the reduction of the gross superficial area occupied by a power-house of a given capacity and the accurate determinationof the stresses and their lines of actionconstitute a valuableimprovement in penstock construction, as both tend to materially lessenthe cost of a hydraulic-power development.

The invention `consists generally in providing open water-wheelpenstocks with partition-walls composed of metallic framework orbeamsand a concrete or stone arch-filling.

Furtheigthe invention consists in providing comparatively thinsemicylindrical metallic bulkheads tangent to and anchored to thepartition-walls. n

Further, the inventionconsists in connecting and tying together the topsof the opposite partition-walls to prevent them from being forcedoutward by the pressure of the Water in one penstock when one or both ofthe adjoining ones are empty.

Further, theginvention consistsin improved means for anchoring the'lowerends of the bulkheads to the floor of the penstock to prevent the waterfrom leaking out between the door and the bulkheads.

Further the invention consists invarious constructions and combinations,all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figurel is a plan View, partially in horizontal section, of a series of threeopen adjoining water-wheel penstocks. Fig. 2 is a sectionon the line :c'y of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a detail showing the manner of securing oranchoring the lower edges of the bulkheads to the penstock-Iioor. 4 is asection on the line u o of Fig. 1.

Fig.

In the drawings, 2 represents a series of open penstocks, (three innumber,) and 3 a licor common to all of them and which we prefer todesignate as the penstock-fioor, though it is sometimes referred to asthe wheel-pit arch. For clearness of illustration we have omitted thewater-wheels and their shafts orfiXtures from the drawings.

4 represents the draft tube openings through which the water, havingpassed through the water-wheels, is discharged into the wheel-pit. Wehave shown two drafttube openings in each penstock; but any desirednumber of them may be provided.

5 represents beams, (here shown as I- beams,) which compose the verticalmembers of the framework forming part of the penstock partition walls.The lower ends of these beams 5 are firmly embedded and Xed in themasonry of the penstock-oor, while the tops are secured by means ofbrackets 6 or other suitable connections to the caps 7. (Herein shown aschannel-beams.) These caps may be fiat or any other suitable shape andare connected by tie rods or bars 8, which preferably extendcontinuously over all the penstock partition-Walls and are secured tosaid caps at the points of intersection therewith. The function of thecap 7 is to transfer the hydrostatic load which comes on the beams 5 tothe tie-rods 8. In each partition- Wall the spaces between the beams 5are filled with concrete 9 from the penstock-floor up to any desiredheight above the high-water line 10, which represents the surface of thewater in the penstocks. The filling 9 may be in the form of flat archesor double-curved arches,

or a combination of the two, or any otherA suitable shape of arch. It isevident that if the two outside penstocks are empty while the middle oneis filled up to the high-water line the concrete filling between thebeams 5 will act under the normal hydrostatic load as arches and willtransfer this load to the beams 5, which in turn will carry part of itto their lower ends, where it is sustained by the penstock-fioor, andthe remainder of the load will be carried to the tops of the beams 5 andthere be transferred by the brackets 6 to the caps 7, which in turn willtransfer this part of the load to the tie-rods 8. The hydrostatic loadson each of the two walls of any penstock being equal and acting inopposite directions, the stresses in the tierods 8, due to the pressureof the water on the two opposite penstock-walls, must balance eachother, and hence there will exist a condition of equilibrium under allconditions, Whether both the adjoining penstocks are filled with wateror one filled and the other empty.

, Between the walls of each penstock is fitted a semicylindrioalmetallic bulkhead or shell 11, tangential to the Hanges of the adjacentbeams 5 and securely fastened thereto, preferably by rivets 15. We haveshown the bulkhead fastened to the beams, but it may be secured to theconcrete illing or to both the beams and, the filling. At the bottom ofthe shell or bulkhead, secured to it by rivets or other suitable means,is an angle-iron or other suitable shaped part 16, having one flangesecured to the bulkhead and the other fastened by screws or othersuitable means to a curved wooden sill 17, that is embedded in thepenstock-floor under the lower edge of the bulkhead. This angle-barforms a watertight cut-off and prevents any leakage of water from thepenstock between the lower edges of the bulkhead and the floor. When thepenstock is filled with water up to the water-line 10, the water pressesnormally against the semicylindrical bulkhead at all points, and it isevident that all stresses eX- uisting in the shell are those of tensiononly.

Consequently if the shell where it is tangent to the penstock-walls atthe iianges of the beams 5 be continued backward and secured to one ormore Iianges of the partition-wall beams the beams to which the shell is-connected will take up the full thrust of the water against said shell.By securing the shell to the flanges of the two adjacent beams of theoppositewalls or to additional beams, if desired, by rivets or othersuitable means the beams and shell form, as it were, a box-girder, andthe pressure of the waterupon the shell, which tends to push it forward,is transferred by said girder and also by the framework and concretefilling in the penstock partition-walls to the penstock-oor, from whenceit is carried into the pit-walls 18 and foundations 19 of the building.By this construction a thin metallic shell will with perfect safety andgreat economy fulfil the same functions and take the place of acumbersome, thick, and expensive masonry bulkhead.

We are aware that circular tubes for waterwheel cases have been usedheretofore, but only in connection with closed penstocks where the waterin the wheel case or tube is under pressure. /Ve make no claim to thisapplication of the invention, but confine ourselves to open penstocks,as above described, and particularly in connection with concrete, stone,or masonry construction.

We claim as our invention- 1. A series of two or more open Water-wheelpenstocks having partition-walls between them, said walls being composedof upright beams having their lower ends anchored to the penstock-floor,a suitable filling material between the beams of each wall and tie rodsor bars connecting the tops of said walls.

2. Aseries of two or more open Water-wheel penstocks having partitionwalls between them, said walls being composed of upright beams havingtheir lower ends embedded or set into the penstock-Iioor, a suitablefilling material between the beams of each Wall, caps horizontallyarranged upon the top of each wall and secured to the beams thereof, andtie rods orbars extending over said walls and connecting and tying thewal-ls and the caps thereon together.

IOO

IIO

Aseries of two or more open water-wheel penstocks having partition-Wallsbetween them, said walls being composed of upright I-beams having theirlower ends embedded or set into the penstock-floor, a concrete fill--ing material between the beams of each Wall and forming arches,channel-bars upon the top of each wall and secured to said I-beams, andangle tie bars or rods `secured to said channel-bars and connecting andtying the tops of said walls together.

4. In a series of two or'more adjoining water-Wheel penstocks, thecombination, of partition-walls separating the adjoining penstocks, withsemicylindrical metallic bulkheads closing the ends of said penstocks,respectively, and tangential to and secured to said walls.

5. In a series of two or more adjoining water-wheel penstocks, thecombination, of a series of partition-walls separating the adjoiningpenstocks, said walls being composed'of upright beams having theirlower` ends embedded in the penstock-floor and a suitable iillingmaterial between them, With semicylindrical metallic bulkheads closingone end of said penstocks and secured to said partition-walls, and tierods or bars connecting the tops of said beams and walls and tying themtogether.

(i. In a series of two or more adjoining water-wheel penstoeks, thecombination, of a series of partitions separating the adjoiningpenstocks, with semicylindrical metallic bulkheads anchored at theirends to said walls and closing the open end of said penstocks, and meansfor forming a close water-tight joint between the lower edges of saidbulkheads and the iioor of said penstocks.

7. A series of open water-wheel penstocks, comprising a suitable iioorprovided with draft-tube openings, partition-walls between adjoiningpenstocks and consisting of metal beams having their lower ends anchoredto said iioor and a suitable iilling material between said beams, meansconnecting or tying the tops of said Walls together, semicylindricalmetallic bulkheads anchored at their ends to said walls and tangentialwith respect thereto, beams embedded in said floor at the bottom of saidbulkheads, and anglebars secured to said embedded beams and to saidbulkheads.

8. In a series of two or more open waterwheel penstocks, thecombination, of a series of partitions separating the adjoiningpenstocks and composed of metallic frames embedded at their lower endsin the penstockiioor and having a suitable concrete filling, withsemioylindrical bulkheads having their ends riveted to the frames ofsaid partitionwalls and tangential thereto, and tie rods or barsextending across said Walls and secured to said frames and tying themand said walls together.

9. In an open water-wheel penstock, a semia cylindrical metallicbulkhead closing one end of the penstook, and walls whereto saidbulkhead is anchored.

10. In an open water-Wheel penstock, walls composed of beams havingtheir lower ends anchored to the penstock-I'loor, a suitable fillingmaterial between the beams of each wall, and means for tying the upperportions of said Walls together.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands, JAMES W. RICKEY atMinneapolis, on the 27th day of February, 1902, and MORTIMER G. BARNESat Sterling, Illinois, on the 1st day of March, 1902.

JAMES W. RICKEY. MORTIMER. G. BARNES. Witnesses to signature of Rickey:

RICHARD PAUL, M. C. NooNAN. IVitnesses to signature of Barnes:

GRACE A. DEYOE, W. D. POWERS.

